Interfaith Study in a Secular Context: Resources from Hinduism

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1 Interfaith Study in a Secular Context: Resources from Hinduism M.T. Cherian* Religion is a personal concern. That is true, if by religion you mean a spiritual path. No Hindu will deny that paths leading to the realization of one s soul are infinite in number. None either will deny that creeds also may be contrary, and yet all true, for truth has contrary aspects; that in the same family, one can worship a personal God, another, a number of Gods and Goddesses, and a third one, no God at all, and yet, all three may be united in the most perfect brotherhood. It is only those who believe that one only creed is true, while all the others are false and harmful, who can insist on forcing the same faith upon the whole world. But the Hindus never shared this belief. 1 Introduction: Plurality and diversity are the marks of Indian subcontinent. The divinity has blessed India to be the birth place of several religions and to have the heritage of cradling many living faiths. Living together of many faiths, coexistence of people adhere to different religions and way of life, giving and taking from each other in matters of faith and enriching each other through exchanges of views and philosophical discussions and the participation in each others rituals deepened the relationship between the religions in India in the past. Presence of many religions in fact helped the people to interact with others and understand each other. From BC 600 onwards atheistic religions Jainism, Buddhism and materialists-carvakas co-existed with the highly metaphysical philosophy oriented brahmanic religion. Two Semitic religions - Christianity and Islam came from their Semitic background with a very different faith understanding, could survive in India for several centuries. The Jews from their own land, due to persecution migrated to India and have been living here as any other Indians. Through assimilating, accepting and embracing these religions could accumulate a considerable amount of heritage and all these religions contributed to the growth of a healthy civilization in India. This short paper intends to look into the history of faith interactions in India and the resources provided by Hinduism for a healthy co-existence and pro-existence of religions. History of Interfaith Encounters Diana Eck makes a helpful distinction between religious diversity and religious pluralism. 2 Religious diversity, for Eck, refers to the fact of different religious traditions existing side by side. Diversity, however, is compatible with isolationism within the same community. People of different traditions can be detached from and indifferent to each other. Pluralism, on the other hand, is the antithesis of indifference. It requires one to seek out, know, engage and build relationships with the neighbors of another faith. India, in fact is the land of religious pluralism-requiring one to seek out, know, engage and build relationship with the neighbors of another faith. *Dr. M.T. Cherian is the Associate Dean of the SCEPTRE, Kolkata. 1 Savitri Devi, Warning to the Hindus, (New Delhi: Promilla Paper Backs, 1983), p Diana Eck, Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras (Boston: Beacon Press, 1993).

2 Long before the modern age had set in the seers and sages of India delved deep into the ideal of unity of all races and creeds. The constant prayer of the vedic sages was Sarvey sukhinah sarvey sandhu niramayah let everyone be happy, let every one be free from all ills. It was the motto of total good for all beings, far beyond the understanding of greatest good of the greatest number. Hinduism's natural tendency has been to recognize the divine basis of various other religions, and to revere their founders and saintly practitioners. Sikhism, probably the youngest of Indian religions adopted good things of Hinduism and good things from Islam to establish a separate faith of its own. In the 15 th century and afterwards the generosity and magnanimity of Hinduism helped the Sikhs to grow separately as a religion. The brahmanical tradition has enough plurality within itself and the success of dealing with the inner plurality helped and equipped the Brahmanism to accommodate the faiths from outside. Though, there were occasional conflicts, intolerance and even some amount of persecution, generally Hinduism has been tolerant and accommodative of other religions. Through the Vedas (Rig Veda), as early as 1500 B.C the Brahmanism articulated the understanding that Truth 3 is one but sages call it by different names as a basis for the religious life. In fact this doctrine was more than the understanding of monotheism as many understand it- it was aimed at solving the clash between one and the many. There was no elimination or conquering the gods but Vedas very wisely related the one to the many and the many to the one. While the distinctiveness and importance of each god is recognized Vedas emphasized the uniqueness of the one. It was recognition of the plurality with the unfailing affirmation of the mystery behind every thing. Probably the tension between the one and the many was the first and the original confrontation within the Brahmanism that had questioned the very existence of it. Even the Upanishads continued the same thoughts of that one without a second. 4 The major challenge to Brahmanism came from Buddha in the sixth century B.C. It is true that Brahmanism took centuries to overcome the challenges of Gautama who rejected the authority of Vedas and gods, the superiority of the Brahmins and the validity of the sacrifices and the rituals. Buddha was not a Brahmin but was from warrior class, which had no connection with the religious rituals or the priesthood. He refused the so called divine language-sanskrit but used Pali the common language of the people to interact with the public. He admitted people from the lower strata of the society in to the congregation which was something unimaginable for Brahmanism. However, without much strain Buddha has been incorporated as one of the ten incarnations and demonstrated the magnanimity of Indian tradition and culture. 5 In a later period of time Bhagavat Gita synthesized the doctrine of suffering and desire of Buddhism with the Brahmanism s karma and evolved a new understanding called nishkama karma 3 The original text says: The seers call in many ways that which is One: Agni, Yama, Matarisvarn etc. See Rv Brihad Up III (Ekam eka advatiyam- that one without a second). 5 The accommodation of Buddha as one of the incarnations is also seen by many as a ploy to subdue Buddhism by co-opting Buddha. See Lal mani Joshi, Studies in the Buddhist Culture of India, (New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1977), pp

3 (desireless action). 6 Thus, a very commendable effort was made to diffuse the tension between the two traditions. Later, probably in a more recent period of history Islam and Christianity with their exclusive claims came to India but did not find enough takers for their exclusivist attitudes. Both Islam and Christianity have the history of converting the entire population of most of the countries they penetrated into. Nevertheless, in India these two proselytizing religions could not succeed much, perhaps due to the anti-exclusivist attitude of Indian culture imbibed by the early Brahmanism. Any thing which goes/went against the understanding of plurality is/ was not acceptable to the Hindu stream of faith. The western missionaries spent a lot of time in negotiating and articulating the superiority of Christianity during the early centuries of colonial domination in India. One of the most noted literary works in Indian language by a foreign missionary aiming to establish the superiority of Christianity to be reckoned with was from the first half of the 19 th century. It was the Matapariksha: a Sanskrit volume by John Muir, an employ of the East India Company. In the above work author aimed at establishing the superiority of Christianity over other religions as the only way to attain salvation. Three orthodox Hindus took up the challenge and published the answers. These were Mataparikshasika by Somanatha, Mataparikshasottara by Harichandra and Sastratattyavinirnaya by Nilakanta Goreh. These authors showed a great deal of knowledge of Christian doctrines and repudiated any claim of uniqueness, finality and once for all understanding. According to the authors, plurality of religions is intrinsic and purposeful as per the Hindu dharma. As all human beings are different from each other it is natural and inevitable that there should be plurality in belief, faith or religion. Other aspects in the human nature are that each individual is different in their capabilities, intelligence, brain power and understanding of things. Each one s life style as well as perception of things is different, therefore, plurality is imbibed in the very nature of human existence and singularity is unacceptable. Even thinking of god and understanding of god- even if people are trained or taught- are different. Therefore, the understanding of plurality of gods is unavoidable to the human world. Birth of an individual is not accidental but is a result of the past karma therefore, the birth in a particular place or family or clan or religion, etc. are not any one s choice but destined by the karma. In other words it is the supreme reality that destines one to be a Hindu or a Christian and not the individual himself or herself. Therefore, no religion can claim superiority over the other. Supreme reality allows people to choose different ways to reach the realization and therefore, different religions are different accepted paths to the same reality. Any criticism of one religion based on the criteria derived from another religion is imperfect because there cannot be a criticism without knowing the inner matters (essence) of a religion. And an outsider has no right whatsoever, to criticize any religion s inner essence. It is suitable here to mention another important piece from the history of India that while the constitution of India was formulated the leaders of our country mostly belonged 6 Bhagavad Gita stands as a concrete example for the synthesis of faiths. It gives the understanding of many margas also tells that those who worship other gods in reality worship Krishna alone. But may not be in a proper way. See Gita IX. 23. Krishna also says Whatever form any devotee wishes to worship, I make that faith of him steady Gita VII. 21. In whatever way men approach me, in the same way do I accept them. Gita IV. 11.

4 to the Hindu community demonstrated enormous amount of acceptance and solidarity towards the minority communities like Islam and Christianity. Constituent Assembly discussed the article 25 of the constitution in length and the members like T T. Krishnamachari of Chennai and K.M. Munshi from Bombay two prominent Hindu leaders supported the words right to propagate. According to K.M Munshi the right to propagate was a result of compromise with the minorities, as he was a part in making the compromise he said it was on this word the Indian Christian Community laid the greatest emphasis, not because they wanted to convert people aggressively, but because the word propagate was a fundamental part of their tenet : he asserted that whatever, its results we ought to respect the compromise 7. Thus Hinduism in India always demonstrated the understanding of plurality and respected the existence of plurality. Unique Characteristics as the basis for acceptance of other Religions Unlike many other religions Hinduism does not fit into the category of a religion due to its many special characteristics. Hinduism differs from Christianity and other Western religions that it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or a central religious organization. It is actually made up of hundreds of different religious groups and sects that have evolved in India over the last 5000 years or more. Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. It does not have a single God concept and it has no rules laid down. Religions that recognize the existence of multiple deities have traditionally been on the top in the list of the world's most religiously tolerant communities. Hinduism could be one of the most tolerant among such religions. One does not have to take frequent visits to the temple in order to be a part of the community, and unlike Christianity, the priest is not the shepherd of his flock. The Hindu priest is merely the go between, connecting the adherents to his faith. He merely chants the required mantras. It is not the job of the priest to guide the people to the path of righteousness, that job is left to swamis and Gurus 8. Hinduism is rich in resources for religious unity as it firmly rooted in the view that the universe has its source and being in an ultimate reality. The nature of this ultimate reality transcends all limited human efforts fully to define and describe it as we would do the objects of our world. It is inspired by the understanding that God is not an object or commodity to be possessed exclusively or controlled by any single tradition, and that God or the absolute exceeds all human efforts to define and describe. God may be called by many names and imagined in diverse forms; one can choose any name and form as the centre of his/her life. This is the understanding of ishtadeva or the God of one s own choice. The doctrine of the ishtadeva does not mean that Hinduism advocates belief in a plurality of Gods. The oneness of God, along with the plurality of God s names, forms and expressions, is deeply ingrained in the Hindu outlook. The ishtadeva doctrine signifies that from the many names, forms and manifestations of the One, a person chooses one which frames his or her life and becomes the focus for the religious quest. There is a special commitment to one s choice along with the recognition that 7 See M.T. Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and the Minority Rights, (Bangalore, CFCC, 2007), p Hinduism is known for gurus, gods and godmen. There is enormous room for any body to become a godman or god. These gods and godmen have created a culture of plurality of representations of the supreme reality. People are willing to accept the culture of divinities among themselves as incarnations and manifestations.

5 others have chosen differently and that God may be honored and worshipped under many names and forms. To worship the divine under one name and form does not imply the exclusion of its worship under other names and forms. The ishtadeva concept also reminds us that there is an element of cultural creation in our respective ideas about God. A very important part of Hinduism is manifestations. In Hinduism the manifestations are part of the routine, while a Christian may go to Church every Sunday, a Muslim may say the namaz five times daily, a Hindu s faith will manifest itself into his daily activities. He/she would feed the birds before eating, worships the cow as Mother, worships the snake, worships the banyan tree, rivers, lakes, ponds, the seas, the mountains etc. A Hindu s whole attitude is of perpetual obeisance, every force of nature around is a manifestation of god in one form or the other. So a visit to the temple is not really required, but gods are flesh and blood creatures, they lived, fought, married, ate, cried and even procreated like any human being. However, one can even be a Hindu without subscribing to any of its manifestations or beliefs. Therefore, one may understand Hinduism as universal in its nature. These unique characteristics help Hinduism to be probably the most tolerant religion of the world. As it does not strictly follow one single formula of faith or creed it cannot alienate any faith or creed or god as unacceptable but accept them as a part of its own. Hinduism does not subscribe to a philosophy of exclusion of any faith or any one. A Hindu can only think of him/herself as a fellow traveler on a vast highway who has discovered that he is surrounded by other travelers moving in the same direction. These travelers have stories full of wisdom, profound experiences and unanticipated insights to share with. These stories of other travelers enrich each other for a better living. Diverse Ways to Salvation While all religions affirm one way to be saved, attain Nirvana or Kaivalya Hindu tradition has recognized and affirmed diversity and plurality through the understanding of the margas, or divinely prescribed paths to attain liberation. Any marga could be accepted, because they are not exclusive in themselves, through which the spiritual life is pursued and expressed. There are three major margas, corresponding to different types of human beings are recognized. For the intelligent, there is the jnana marga, a way which puts the emphasis on thought, learning and introspection. The emotionally expressive person pursues the way of devotion (bhakti marga) and the activist pursues the path of work (karma marga). 9 The idea of different margas has enabled many Hindus to think of the world s religions as complementary and not exclusive ways to the human liberation. One of the well known seers of Hinduism Sri Rama Krishna Paramahamsa taught the acceptance of all religions to the world. For him all religions are different ways to the same truth. He also emphasized that the people who fight about the uniqueness of their religion are like the blinds who argue about the shape of the elephant. There have been many in India, like Swamy Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi Radhakrishnan etc., who expressed the same view; all of them were the product of Hinduism. Mahatma Gandhi advocated the necessity of plurality of religions for the society. He wrote: I came to the conclusion long ago, after prayerful search and study and discussion with as many people as I could meet, that all religions were true, and also that all had 9 Yoga is also accepted as a way to attain liberation however, the above mentioned three are the prominent margas advised by the ancient sages.

6 some error in them, and whilst I hold my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, that not a Christian should become a Hindu, or if we are Moslems that not a Hindu or a Christian should become a Moslem, nor should we even secretly pray that anyone should be converted, but our inmost prayer should be that a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Moslem a better Moslem and a Christian a better Christian I broaden my Hinduism by loving other religions as my own. 10 It is not only accepting pluralism and the dignity of all religions but also it is accepting neighbor s faith as equally valid a way to liberation as his or her own faith. Thus Hinduism could imbibe a pluralistic understanding in the adherents from the very beginning. Dharma as the Basis for Unity Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct as described by the scriptures. Word dharma is deriving from the Sanskrit root dhr which means to hold firmly or to hold together. In essence dharma is that which holds the society together firmly and it is the code and rule that brings the community together. Hinduism describes dharma as the natural universal law whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and it saves oneself from degradation and suffering. Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life. Hindus consider dharma to be the very foundation of life. Dharma for a Hindu is that which holds the people of this world and the whole creation. Dharma is the "law of being" without which things cannot exist. Root of dharma is compassion: compassion towards the whole creation based on non-violence. It is the understanding that this world is upheld by dharma makes a Hindu religious and committed in his/her daily life. Anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma. Any path to god is a path of dharma. There are four different hands to dharma such as austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya). The essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength. The strength of being dharmic also lies in the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess. Since Hinduism believes in the dharma which is universal in character and based on non-violence, there is ample space for acceptance of plurality. Dharma is not Hindu in nature but is for all and it can accommodate any righteous way of life and any thing that enrich the righteous life. Dharma could, in the past hold together various sects of India like Vaishnavism, Saivism, Saktaism etc. on the basis of a universal law of wellbeing of all living beings. Same law of universal well being helped the Indian subcontinent to accept and accommodate all who came from outside with different perceptions of god/gods and belief systems. Conclusion Exclusive claims isolate and divide the society into different groups and small communities alienating them from their neighbors. Claims of uniqueness create tensions. While everybody has the right to claim uniqueness and specialty, the claims should not any way force or hurt the sentiments of others. Internalizing the fact that instead of claims of uniqueness accommodation is better for the co-existence, Hinduism accepted and Louis Fischer, ed., The Essential Gandhi, (New York: Vintage Books, 1962), p. 212

7 accommodated people from all over the world without opposing their creedal affiliations but whole heartedly supported them to continue with their own faith. Different faith traditions could construct their worship places develop their communities in India in the past. However, India has seen a lot of religious violence during the recent times. The communal and religious violence in India are not from the people who love the nation and religion. Civilized people cannot accept the ones who perpetuate violence in the name of religion in India because none of the Indian religions teach or even speak violence but all of them have nonviolence as the core of their teaching. The perpetuators of violence in India are enemies of religion and faith, so narrow minded that they are not able to know the inner truth of religion. They should be branded as enemies of religion and thrown out of the religious fraternity. Affirming and accepting plurality and coexistence and pro-existence are the essence of Indian culture which is to be cultivated through all possible means. We should come out from the colonial understanding that the neighbors of our faith are destined for hell. But with a renewed sense of purpose and universal relevance let us affirm god s love to our neighbors and acknowledge them as one with us- being anxious and ready to help shape our world.